Seven Rings in Hand: The Rewrite
by SoulPieces
Summary: Prayers…Sadness…Rage…Hatred…Joy…Pleasure…Wishes—th e seven worlds that make up the stories. These are the seven World Rings that bind these pages together. This is the story of 2 brave hedgehogs and a magical Genie of the Ring. This is the Arabian Nights.
1. The Genie and the Hedgehogs

_**Hello friends! A longer author's note can be found at the bottom of this chapter.**_

 _ **I noticed that one of my favorite gaming channels, the Game Grumps, was playing through an old favorite of mine: Sonic and the Secret Rings. I also remembered my old fan fiction of it, and started re-reading it.**_

 _ **I started that story 8 years ago. I wanted to stretch my writing muscles again, and I decided to rewrite the old story. I hope you all enjoy this newly-revised story!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - The Genie and the Hedgehogs**

Winter winds howled outside, bringing with them a chilling winter snow determined to cover everything in its path. The forecast had called for at least three inches, but the snow storm that had been going on for hours now promised even more. At the height of the cold season, the world's infamous speedster, the fastest thing alive, had found himself slowed down by a measly virus.

Sonic settled himself in on the couch, a cracking fire freshly lit in the fireplace and a book on the coffee table beside him. Amy had bought him The Arabian Nights for his birthday, and while reading wasn't exactly how he preferred to spend his time, he figured his slow recovery would be quickened by investing himself in historical stories of action, magic, and romance. But as he reached for the book, a severe headache overtook him, and he instead brought his hand up to his face. _Maybe I should take a nap instead_ , he thought.

He grabbed a throw off the back of the couch and snuggled underneath, but found himself restless. He reached for the book once again and glanced it over. The ornate cover felt good under his fingertips, and he struggled to remember the last time he read anything.

 _This will be good for me_ , he determined.

 **X-X-X**

Many hours later, Sonic was roused from his sleep by a sudden noise. He pulled the book off his face, where it had apparently fallen after he drifted off to sleep. He shut it and looked around, wondering what could have awakened him.

"Hello?" He called out, wondering if anyone would dare brave the blizzard outside just to break into his home. His blue quills began to prick up, and he reached down for his shoes.

He was met with no response and no further noises, and decided that perhaps a he had just been dreaming. He glanced at the clock on the mantle. It was nearly 2 am.

"Geez, is it that late already?" He mumbled to himself. He knelt down to remove his shoes, but a glimmer on the table caught his eye.

 _What? A ring? I must be dreaming_ , he thought to himself as he reached for the golden object.

"That's him! That's the blue hedgehog!" A feminine voice echoed around the room, startling Sonic. He dropped the ring, and sparks began to fly.

With a flash of light and a puff of smoke, in front of him appeared two unfamiliar figures. The first was a floating human woman with olive skin and pink hair that spiraled above her head as if it was floating. She wore what Sonic could only describe as something out of a costume kit for a genie, with pink accents as if to match her hair. She wore brown ballet flats on her feet.

The next was a small, golden colored hedgehog, with long quills that were pulled back into a messy ponytail behind her head. Her quills brushed her knees as the smoke cleared around her. Her green eyes locked with his instantly, fear and caution pricking her spikes up. Her outfit seemed a bit less fancy than the woman's, and contained no bright hues. Her shoes seemed out of place with her outfit, being styled tennis shoes that looked like something he could walk into the local department store and purchase.

"Who are you?" He asked. "Did you just come back from a costume party?"

The two strangers glanced at each other, then bowed before him. "Do not be alarmed," spoke the woman. "I am Shahra, the Genie of the Ring, and this is my partner, Amala,"

"... Genie of the Ring?" Sonic replied, baffled.

Shahra straightened up. "Yes, I am a genie, bound to a ring. Have you not heard of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp?" She pointed at the book Amy had gifted him.

"I uh… haven't gotten to it yet," he confessed. "What are-"

"You haven't read it?! Everyone knows the story of Aladdin!" Amala interrupted him. "It's one of the most popular stories in the Arabian Nights!"

"Reading isn't exactly something I prefer to do in my spare time," he quipped back. "Speed's my game. Now, what are you two doing here, and how did you get here?"

Shahra picked up the book and handed it to him. "This is why we're here." She flipped to the back of the book, where many blank pages lay.

"Our world is being ripped apart by a powerful genie named Erazor Djinn. He has been bound within its pages for centuries, and his magic has grown little by little. The book can no longer contain him, so he has begun to set the inscriptions free, absorbing their magic and erasing our world in the process."

Amala stepped forward and put her hand on the book. "We need your help, legendary one," she muttered quietly. "You may think we are joking, but this is no laughing matter. If the Erazor Djinn escapes, he will destroy our world, and all the stories within the Nights. Countless innocent souls will be lost, including our own, and the stories will disappear forever. He craves the power of the book, and we need your help to stop him."

"The power of the book, huh? Here I thought the only power books had was the power of imagination!"

Amala and Shahra exchanged a disappointed look. "Sir, please, if we don't stop him now, he will break into your world and continue to seek power! He must be stopped," Shahra pleaded.

He gave up his humor, clearly lost on these strange guests. "Well, that definitely sounds like trouble. But what do you want me to do about it?"

"You must stop the Erazor Djinn," Amala said. "We have traveled far and wide, searching for ways to save our world. You came to Shahra in a vision, and we have been searching for you ever since. We need your help, Sonic. You have done many valiant deeds in your life for your world. Now, we humbly ask for your help with ours."

"So, this guy needs to be put in his place?" Sonic smirked. "I can help with that - it might even be fun! ...But this is all from a storybook, right? How am I supposed to do anything?"

"Do you have cotton stuffed in your ears?" Quipped the female hedgehog. "Shahra is a GENIE, she can grant any wish you have!"

"Well, simple wishes, at any rate," Shahra admitted meekly. "But you are now my master, having called forth the genie of the ring, and I will do my best to serve you." Amala held out her hand as Shahra disappeared in a puff of smoke, and a small golden ring fell into Amala's hand. She held it to Sonic.

"Here, put this on and rub the ring," she instructed.

Sonic gingerly took it out of her hands and glanced it over. He slipped it over his finger, and sparks began to fly.

"Hey, hey, take it easy!" He exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, O Master, but the contract is now sealed. As the new master of the ring, I am bound to protect your life at the cost of my own. Now, rub the ring,"

Sonic did as he was told, and Shahra appeared before him, her head bowed in respect. "Oh master, what is thy wish?"

As he inhaled to reply, some of the smoke tickled his sinuses, and Sonic began sneezing profusely. "Well, how about a handkerchief, for starters?"

Amala reached down to grab a box of tissues from the coffee table, but as she did, hundreds of small handkerchiefs began to form out of thin air and fluttered towards the floor. Several landed over both hedgehogs, who looked at each other and laughed.

"That is a bit much, isn't it, Shahra?" Teased Amala.

"You're a lifesaver!" Sonic joked as he blew his nose. "I could totally get used to this. You see, I caught a cold yesterday-"

"Please, be serious!" Exclaimed an exasperated genie.

"Okay, okay. Seriously though, thanks for the hankies!"

Shahra sighed. "Master, please. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes!" He replied confidently, feeling his cold leave him completely. "Let's head into this world of Arabian Nights! Oh, and enough with this 'master' stuff. I'm Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Shahra nodded and conjured a carpet in front of them. "As you wish, Sonic, the Legendary Hedgehog."

Amala leaned over to Sonic and whispered, "Just go with it."

* * *

 _ **Long explanation:**_

 _ **I've missed writing a lot. My life has been a whirlwind in these past 4 years or so, and writing fell off my radar. I've finally reached a point of stability once again, and now I want to get back into writing.**_

 _ **I used to be extremely proud of the old Seven Rings in Hand story. At the time, it was really an achievement for me: it was popular among others my age, it was imaginative, and it was one of the first stories I actually finished.**_

 _ **8 years later, I don't feel that way anymore. The whole story feels a bit disjointed (though I will partially blame the scattered script of the original game for that), and had some seriously outlandish themes. Many times during reading that story, I thought of the phrase "0 to 100 real quick." Figures, since I was 16 at the time, and my filter at the time was sparse, if existent at all. Very little of that story was planned out before it made it onto the screen, and I remember that I often failed to connect my ideas via a flowing storyline.**_

 _ **I sincerely hope that this story is of a much better quality, and the storyline I have chosen appeals to all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my stories and providing your support. Every review I receive fills my heart with joy, and I especially love receiving constructive criticism. I don't just write for funsies - I write because it is something I feel I can always improve on.**_

 _ **Finally, I apologize for any weird typos. I've written a lot of this story while at work on my iPad. It doesn't always catch my mistakes!**_


	2. The Lost Prologue

**Chapter 2 - The Lost Prologue**

"This is the gateway between worlds," explained Amala as the carpet came to a stop. "The world of the Arabian Nights is at the end of this stretch."

Beneath their feet laid a solid platform made from massive, ancient-looking pages with Arabic writing upon them. The horizon was a strange mixture of amber clouds and white smoke, with more pages fluttering through the air around them. "I feel… like I'm on a really bad trip," Sonic joked.

Amala gave a short chuckle. "It is rather odd, isn't it? Follow me, the gate is this way!" She took off at a quick jog.

Sonic grinned, happy to stretch his legs now that his energy was back. "Are you from this world, too?"

"Of course. What makes you believe otherwise?"

He glanced down. "Your shoes seem a little ahead of this time, don't you think?"

She simply scoffed and quickened her pace. "We all have a past, hedgehog," she stated. Dark magic pillars began rising from the ground. "The Erazor thinks these will stop us - now that's hilarious."

With a single leap, Amala launched herself up at one of the pillars, catching the side with her feet and shoving off, launching herself through the air faster than Sonic was running.

"You like to run, right?" She called down to him. "How about a race?"

Sonic grinned, eager for a challenge. "If I beat you, will you tell me more about yourself?"

"You won't win! Finish line is the gate! Good luck!" Her feet connected with another pillar, and she launched herself far ahead of him.

Sonic laughed and took off after her, feeling the wind of the strange world whistling through his quills, relishing in his sudden recovery from the cold that had kept him down for several days. _I've missed this feeling!_

Above, Amala was enjoying her own form of freedom. The air all around her felt as though it was lifting her higher, carrying her further. Her muscles flexed and throbbed with every push off from the pillars. She may not have been much of a runner, but who needed to run when you could _fly_?

An arch appeared on the horizon. Sonic allowed himself to slow just a bit, thinking he would let her believe she had won before showing off his talents.

Amala saw her chance, and launched herself ahead. Just before the arch, she shot down to the ground. "Heads up!" She called.

Sonic looked up in confusion, and saw a cleated foot headed straight for him. He toughened his quills just before her foot connected with his head, and he fell to the ground as she bounded away on the flat ground.

"That's cheating!" He shouted.

"You'll catch up!" Her voice echoed back.

She was right. It was but a few seconds before he appeared just behind her, taunting her.

"Is that as fast as you can go? Might want to stick to hopping!"

She tried to block him out and pushed herself faster, but she knew it was no use - he would eventually outrun her.

"Ready to tell me about yourself?" Now he was beside her.

"No!" She hopped back into the air, aiming for a nearby arch support. She graced the top of it and launched forward, flying away from him once again.

A loud boom sounded behind her, and in a flash of blue, he was at her side. "You have a lot of tricks up your sleeve!"

"I have to, to keep up with you!"

A puff of dark smoke stopped their race. Their feet burned as they tried to stop their momentum, as in front of them floated a large, barrel-chested man with rose-tinted skin and mahogany hair. He carried a switchblade in one hand, and was dressed only in a pair of baggy beige pants and a dark cape that flowed behind him.

He locked eyes with Amala first. Her vision faded as dark magic fingers reached for her. "Stop it!" she screeched. She fell to her knees clutching her ears as the evil magic poked and prodded at her, burning with every touch. She collapsed into a sobbing heap.

"Hey!" Sonic reached out to catch her. "What did you do to her!?"

The large man gave an evil smirk. "You must be that blue rat that was just added to the story."

"Don't you know anything? I'm a hedgehog, not a rat!" The man lashed out with his switchblade at the pair, which Sonic barely avoided with a backflip.

"What was that about? Talk about close shaves!" He sat Amala down, who had calmed from crying but refused to pull her hands from her face.

"I am the Erazor Djinn," boomed the man, ignoring Sonic. "And I will carve up this world as I see fit!"

"Well if you're going to do that, do you think you could wait until I'm done reading it first?"

"Sonic, please…" pleaded Shahra, who appeared from his ring and put her arms around the collapsed girl.

The Erazor scoffed. "One hundred of the one thousand and one Nights have already been wiped clean, and soon the rest shall join them, night by night, until all are gone! And then, with the Seven World Rings…" he looked at Shahra.

"Seven World Rings? Now that sounds a little familiar," Sonic commented.

"You have gathered the seven Rings for me, haven't you, Shahra, my dear?" He sneered and leaned towards her.

She turned away and crossed her arms. "I told you, they do not exist! They are but mere legend! And even if they did exist, I would never bring them to you!"

"Oh, but would you now?" He reached for her, but she rejected his touch.

"Very well then. I believe a suitable punishment is in order!" A flame ignited above his finger, which he directed at Shahra.

"No! Look out!" Sonic dove in front of her, taking the flame directly to his heart. He winced and fell to his knees, and Amala glanced up, her bloodshot eyes still echoing with fear and sadness.

"So, this is how judgement shall be dealt, is it? Very well. This shall be interesting… are you listening, rat?"

"Hedgehog…" Sonic growled.

The Erazor grinned. "Bring me the Seven World Rings before the flame on this arrow extinguishes. Should you fail, your very life will be forfeit."

He glanced at Amala and nodded his head. "You would be wise to run far, dear one, before you lose your life as well. My patience with you will only last so long."

She scrambled to her feet, looking at him with defiance. "I will no longer run from you. I cannot allow you to continue with this ludicrous plan!"

He simply laughed. "Very well, then. Next, I believe I shall collect the life of King Shahryar! Better hurry with those rings!" In a puff of dark smoke, he was gone.

Amala and Shahra looked at each other worriedly, and both approached Sonic. Amala rested her hand above the flame on his chest. "Are you okay?"

Sonic waved it off. "Don't worry about me. With my speed, we'll stop him with plenty of time to spare! I'm more worried about you. Are you okay?"

Amala's eyes were fixed upon the small flame, and she ignored his question. "Sonic…he really did not give you much time." She looked up at him with worried eyes. "We must find those rings. Perhaps we can use them against the Erazor!"

"Hey, chin up!" He replied, looking down to catch her eyes. He placed a hand upon her shoulder. "It's not over until it's over. We'll get this thing out of my chest before it goes out! I'm not going to die, not on this adventure!"

Amala sighed. "I hope you are right."

"So, what-"

"I know that time is of the essence, but we really should go protect King Shahryar!" Shahra interrupted him. "We must get to the gate!"

The pair of hedgehogs nodded, and took off running, their previous race all but forgotten as they raced against the clock.

* * *

 _ **Fun fact: I've already rewritten parts of this rewrite. This chapter alone has been written twice. I think I've got everything straightened out now. Till next time!**_


	3. Sand Oasis

**Chapter 3 - Sand Oasis**

The sun was hanging low in the sky when they came out into the world of the Nights. Desert sand was illuminated with a bright golden shine, and stretched far out to the horizon. Though it was evening, the winds were still hot, and carried no humidity with them.

Sonic wiped the sweat from his brow as they ran, but the heat was going to get to him before too long if they didn't find some shade soon. He was used to running in fairly extreme conditions, but the desert was a new experience for him. Loose sand made it difficult for him to find his footing, and it wasn't long before the Blue Blur uttered a phrase unfamiliar to him.

"I think we should stop soon," he confessed to Amala. She simply nodded, with the excitement and heat of the day also taking its toll on her.

"There is an Oasis about 2 miles away," she informed him. "We can stop there for the night. No use in exerting more energy than we can spare."

He let her lead him. Before too long, palm trees appeared before them, and the wind carried a hint of cooler air upon it. They slowed to a stop beside the water.

"Shahra, do you think you could help us with a fire?" asked Amala while Sonic fell to his knees and dunked his head in the cool waters.

"Hey now, what's the point in having a personal genie when she grants other people's' wishes, too?" He joked as he shook off excess water.

The female hedgehog simply rolled her eyes, and a small campfire appeared nearby, with Shahra standing beside it. "What, do you not think she can make an exception for an old friend?" She grinned.

"Old friend, huh? Speaking of, are you ready to tell me your story?"

She ignored him and walked towards the water, pulling her hair and quills down. "Our race never ended," she replied smartly.

"You know I was going to beat you!"

"I know nothing of the sort." She walked into the waist-deep water and ducked her head under, allowing the dirt and grime of the day to dissolve from her fur and clothes.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "I won't make you tell me," he began when she came back up. "But the curiosity might kill me!"

"Last I checked, you weren't part cat, were you?"

He scoffed. "An answer for everything, huh?"

Shahra created a cloth towel and handed it to Amala as she exited the water. She shook off, splattering Sonic in the process, before accepting it. He recoiled instinctively, pushing himself back across the sand and wiping himself off.

She looked at him quizzically. "What, afraid of a bit of water? You could use a bath after all that running. You smell."

"Excuse me?" He replied, offended. "And so what if I don't like water?"

"Hm. Perhaps you _are_ part cat, then."

He growled and slipped off his shoes. "I'll show you!"

While he forced himself into the water, Amala made herself comfortable beneath a tree near the fire and looked out across the desert. A few ruins dotted the landscape, but it was otherwise barren.

"It reminds me of home," she told Shahra.

The genie reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. "You know that if you ever wish to return home, all you have to do is ask."

"There is nothing left for me there, you know that." A heavy sigh escaped her. "Besides, I am rather invested in this adventure now, wouldn't you agree?"

Shahra gave her a sad look. "I never intended for this to happen," she whispered.

Now it was Amala who squeezed the genie's hand. "We cannot change the past, Shahra. Besides," she looked at the blue hedgehog, who was shaking water from his fur at the edge of the oasis. "Perhaps things are not _all_ bad…"

Shahra grinned and gave her a nudge. "Perhaps your story has not ended just yet," she giggled.

"Stop! He is coming over here!" Amala offered her towel to Sonic, who was happy to take it. He towel-dried his head as best as he could before taking a seat next to her.

"How's that for being afraid of water?" he joked.

"I've seen more graceful acts from whales," she scoffed. "Get comfortable, hedgecat. We have a long night to endure, and a long journey tomorrow."

 **X-X-X**

"Sonic! Amala! Wake up, we have to go _now_!"

An urgent voice awoke both hedgehogs, who were sleeping upright back-to-back, with a start. They leapt to their feet and looked around. The sun was barely creeping over the horizon, and already the air felt stifling.

But that was not what alarmed the hysteric genie. On the other side of the oasis pond, a huge mutated sand scorpion had locked its many bloodshot eyes on the trio.

"Well, nothing like a morning workout!" Sonic grinned, itching for the fight. He looked over at Amala. "Are you ready?"

She pulled on her cleated shoes and cracked her knuckles. "Oh, I am very ready."

He took off running around the waters, while Amala launched herself up to a tree. "So, this is just a guess, but I figure the eyes are a good weak spot!" he called up to her. She nodded, and took aim at an eye upon its back. The scorpion kept one eye upon her and two on Sonic. She shot towards its back, her right leg fully extended. Her shoes connected solidly with its back at the same time that Sonic performed a spin attack on the eye located on its front right leg. The beast let out a feral screech and lashed blindly with its tail at the pair. The tip of its stinger grazed Amala, but barely broke the skin. She hopped to the ground and landed next to Sonic.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Doing just fine!"

The scorpion pursued them, continuing to lash blindly with its tail. It moved so rapidly that Amala had a hard time keeping ahead of it, let alone gathering enough momentum to jump back into the trees. The brush beneath their feet tripped her up numerous times, and she worried they would make no further progress.

"Lead it out of the Oasis, we need more room!"

They took off across the hot sand, with the mutated beast in hot pursuit. Sonic attempted to turn on it with another spin attack, but an armored plate quickly lowered over its last exposed eye, protecting it from his diamond-hard spikes.

"Give me a lift!" Amala called to him. She lept swiftly onto his shoulders.

"Wow, you're light!" he commented.

"Stay steady!" She shoved off his back and landed squarely on the back of the scorpion. It instinctively protected its eye, but when no attacks came, it opened back up. Amala took the opportunity to spring upon the beast's front leg and gave its eye a swift punch. The creature roared and shook her into the dirt, stabbing at her blindly.

It finally pinned one of her legs beneath its feet, and it turned to her. She looked upon it in horror, watching circular rows of teeth in its mouth open completely to reveal a fourth eye.

"Sonic!" she cried.

Kicking up sand, he skid to a stop and changed directions, headed straight for her. The tail came down once again, the beasts' eye now locked on to hers. She yanked her upper body to the left of its stinger at the last minute and reached out for Sonic. He halted above her and puffed out his spikes, which the deadly tail deflected off of, causing no damage to him.

He spun towards the leg holding her down and struck with his quills again and again. The scorpion finally released its grip long enough for Amala to wedge herself free. The scorpion followed her movements, and while it was distracted, Sonic shot for the final eye. With a solid connection, the beast screamed and staggered back.

It collapsed finally in exhaustion, and began to melt away in dark smoke. When the area cleared, a golden ring with inscriptions all over it was nestled in the sand, glowing in the morning light.

"Sonic…" breathed Amala from the ground where she had fallen. "I… I can't believe it. That's one of the legendary World Rings…"

Shahra approached the ring first and attempted to pick it up, but her hand merely phased through the ring. "I can't pick it up…"

Sonic looked at Amala, who held up her hands defensively. "I am not touching that thing," she stated. "Did you see that mutant beast?! I don't want it touching me."

Sonic rolled his eyes and walked to the ring. His hand clasped solidly around the jewelry, and sparks flew from his hands. He winced but held on tight.

The two girls surrounded him and studied the ring in awe. "They say that when the Seven World Rings are gathered, the portal between worlds shall open. However, the life of the collector of the rings shall be offered up in sacrifice as the key for that control…" uttered Shahra. She and Amala exchanged a glance, and Amala hung her head low.

"Wait, what? I'm supposed to be a sacrifice?" He turned to face the women and took a step back.

"That, I cannot say for sure," Shahra said uneasily. "But I do believe these rings hold the key to some kind of mystery. I think we need to collect them to get to the bottom of this mystery."

Sonic looked down at the ring once again, then at the flame in his chest. "Well, I guess I'm in a pinch either way, huh?"

"I'm sorry, it's my fault," Shahra looked as if she was going to cry.

"Hey, hey! Don't cry!" He darted to her side. Amala took this moment to walk away silently. "Don't look so upset, alright? I'll have you smiling by the end of this, I promise! And that's not me ordering you as your master, that's a promise from me to you."

Shahra met his caring eyes. "A promise…"

He glanced up, suddenly noticing Amala's absence. He spotted her off in the distance. "Hey, wait up!"

She turned around and stopped, allowing him to catch up. "Where are you going?"

She pointed to a shadow on the horizon. "The Erazor mentioned King Shayrar, remember? If we hurry, we'll get there in no time. We must warn the king!"

Sonic handed the golden ring to her. "Here, carry this. I promise to won't hurt you," he added when she recoiled. "We've gotta make good time, so I'm going to carry you."

She gingerly took the ring, which produced sparks once again when in her hands. She looked to Shahra. "A bag would surely help."

A leather book bag appeared across her chest, and Amala placed the ring inside. "Alright, that is much better. Let's get going, shall we?" She offered a smile to Sonic, who returned it earnestly.

He eased her onto his back, and she held tightly around his shoulders. Once comfortable, they took off across the sands, towards the rapidly-growing ruins in the distance.

 **X-X-X**

Getting to the palace was uneventful. Much like the town outside, the inside of the palace was devoid of anyone.

"It's so empty… are we too late?" Sonic wondered aloud as Amala climbed down from his back.

She straightened her bag. "I'm...not sure."

The sound of breaking pottery caused the two to jump, and they looked around, on edge. A tall, round man wearing glasses, royal attire, and sporting a large, bushy mustache stared back at them from behind some decorative pottery, frozen in fear.

"Eggman!" Exclaimed Sonic, recognizing the man. "I should have known - this is all part of one of your ever-failing schemes!"

The strange man looked indignant. "What is the meaning of this? I am Shahryar, king of this land! I have never been so outright insulted in all my years!"

"What are you up to this time?" Sonic took a threatening step forward, but was stopped by Shahra and Amala.

"Wait, Sonic, stop! This is him! This really is King Shahryar!" Exclaimed the genie.

Amala turned to the king and bowed respectfully. "Your highness, he seems to have mistaken you for someone else. Please, accept our deepest -"

"Guards!" He interrupted. "Seize these… spiky things at once!"

The three froze in terror, awaiting confrontation, but several silent moments passed. The king's face fell.

"...Where are your men, Your Highness?" Shahra asked, more concernd about the lack of protection the king had.

He sighed. "Yes, let me explain…" he straightened up and stroked his mustache. "You see, these evil spirits invaded my castle. When they appeared, my men were unable to hold them off, and the city was evacuated. I stayed here to hide while waiting on their return. I...suppose they are still out with my people."

He took a breath as if to say more, but was cut short by a terrifying roar, accompanied with a massive shadow bursting through the biggest window in the room. A large winged beast with a crested head and leathery wings crashed into the room, thrashing wildly and lashing out with its teeth.

It focused its wild eyes on the king, who immediately turned tail to run. His flowing cape got caught on one of the beasts' teeth, though, and the monster scrambled to its feet. With startling speed, the beast crashed back through the window it had entered, and took off to the horizon.

"No!" Cried the king. "Help me!"

The two hedgehogs darted to the window and watched helplessly as the beast soared away, a large, familiar figure smirking at them from its back.

"We have to go, now!" Sonic shouted, grabbing Amala's hand. "Shahra! That carpet would be useful right about now!"

He leapt out of the window, pulling Amala with him. The pair landed on the carpet Shahra created and took off after the beast.

"Was that… a dinosaur?" Gasped Amala.

"Looked like it. At this point, I've learned to run with whatever comes along."

She shook her head. "It seems there is no rhyme or reason to the Erazor's meddling with the story…"

 **X-X-X**

 **Hope you guys are enjoying the rewrite. If this is your first time reading this, don't worry about the previous one. It's bad. Don't look at it.**


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